1.1 Early Reports on the First Joints

Swiveling gimbals were generally known in Europe through the report of the mathematician, doctor and philosopher, Geronimo Cardano. He also worked in the field of engineering and in 1550 he mentioned in his book "De subtilitate libri XXI" a sedan chair of Emperor Charles V "which was mounted in a gimbal" [1.2]. In 1557 he described a ring joint in "De armillarum instrumento". Pivots staggered by 90 connected the three rings to one another giving rise to three degrees of freedom (Fig. 1.1). This suspension and the joint formed from it were named the "cardan suspension" or the "cardan joint" after the author.

Fig. 1.1: Ring joint of Hieronymus Cardanus 1557. In his "Mediolanensis philosophi ac medici", p. 163, he wrote the following about it: "I saw such a device at the house of Emperor Maximilian's adviser, Joannem Sagerum (Johann Sager) from Gisenhaigen (Gie enhagen, Gei enhain), an important mathematician, doctor and philosopher in the Pressburg diocese. He did not explain how he had arrived at this, on the other hand I did not ask him about this." This is proof that the suspension...